


next time there will be a cold embrace

by MasterEyebrow



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Death, Drunken Flirting, M/M, characters don't die but death happens and is very present, just read it it'll make sense, magical realism but not totally?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 11:09:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22603720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasterEyebrow/pseuds/MasterEyebrow
Summary: Jenson chats with a beautiful stranger.
Relationships: Jenson Button/Nico Rosberg
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	next time there will be a cold embrace

**Author's Note:**

> super quick oneshot inspired by a song. this is super pretentious. i love it
> 
> death is already in the tags but trigger warning for car accident.

Jenson sees him from across the street, standing under the lights with snow slowly falling. There’s something that keeps his stare there and stops him on his tracks. Blond bloke dressed in dark, absent-mindedly looking somewhere else, everywhere else but Jenson. He touches his hair, tucks it behind his ear but it’s not a nervous fidget but rather a deliberate act – that’s what strange, he doesn’t seem antsy or expectant despite standing in the middle of a street, watching somewhere, but like he’s exactly where we wants to be doing what he needs to be doing.

There’s alcohol in Jenson’s veins to fuel impulses and he walks to the other side, never gets the guy’s attention until he’s right next to him and greets him. And even then it’s a quick glance and a polite smile. That is somehow the most dismissive thing in the universe – how this guy is clearly doing nothing but doesn’t bother to acknowledge Jenson fully. A little deflated, Jenson looks away, still too intrigued to leave.

“You waiting for someone?” he asks. The guy hums, cocks his head.

“You could say that”, he replies cryptically. Now he looks at Jenson, but not his face – he stares down at his body. Way to strip someone’s confidence. Luckily Jenson has plenty to spare.

“Mind if I stay here? Keep you a little company.”

“It’s a free world.”

Jenson smiles, reaches down his pocket for a cigarette but realises he doesn’t have any. He bites his cheek, evaluates the blond bloke.

“You wouldn’t happen to have cigs?”

“Sorry.”

“Ah, it’s fine. Should quit anyway. Wasting my life and all, you know?”

“It takes a little more than one bad habit to waste a life”, the guy says in a way that is a little too endearing to Jenson and he laughs. The bloke is smiling too, a serenity to him that is almost ethereal. (That’s alcohol speak.)

“What’s your name?” Jenson asks. And now the guy turns to face him proper for the first time, and goodness, he is pretty, long lashes and plump lips and eyes impossibly green in this lighting. A strand of hair falls out of its place onto the guy’s face and he pushes it out of the way.

“You think you need my name?” he asks. Jenson grins. He likes this type of people, mysterious and dangerously alluring – something to conquer.

“Yeah, I think I do, yes”, he replies. “I’m Jenson, if it makes any difference winning you over.”

“Winning me over”, the guy repeats. There’s something cat-like about him. He looks away for a moment and Jenson wonders if he should say something more. It’s cold, enough for breath to show, and Jenson moves a little to keep warm.

“Nico”, the guy finally answers. “It means victory of the people.”

“Oh, see, there is something to win here”, Jenson jokes. Nico chuckles a bit.

A car passes by, the tyres struggling on the icy tarmac but it manages to keep going pretty straight, even with an occasional concerning sound. Nico stares after, seems curious but also unbothered. Not that it’s strange to be curious and unbothered, no, but with that feline aura it has a macabre tint to it but Jenson can’t quite grasp it fully.

“Have you been waiting a long time? I mean, I just came from the bar there. You expect someone from there?”

“You’re rather bothered with this whole who am I waiting for thing, aren’t you?”

“Just scoping the options here”, Jenson states boldly, even adds a wink. Never hurts to be frank. Nico seems to like it, or at least isn’t put off by it, because he scoffs in amusement and reveals his teeth when he smiles, nose scrunching up a little. “So, how is it, how important is it to wait for that someone?”

“It’s quite important. But do stay, your company is delightful.”

“So this someone won’t be bothered with me talking to you? Or flirting. Because that’s what I’m going to do, if it’s fine with you.”

“If that’s what you do then you have to do that.”

“So you answer to everything with a philosophical angle, do you?”

“It’s really not that philosophical”, Nico says. “People just like to place a deeper meaning to everything. Really, I’m just saying what spit brings to my mouth. Does that sound philosophical to you?”

Jenson moves his head from side to side in agreement, raises his brows. “I guess we could discuss the possible wisdom in saliva and how it affects speech. But I’m not a doctor or a philosopher so I wouldn’t know.”

“Or an expert in spit.”

“Well, that deserves more scrutiny”, Jenson says. Nico’s head is tilted and he stares Jenson for a moment, lips slightly pursed. Jenson realises he feels a little exposed, like Nico sees things he isn’t supposed to and it’s silly, nothing has been revealed with words or actions. It’s the alcohol. And deeper meanings placed on things. Again a lock of Nico’s hair slips to his face, but now he doesn’t correct it.

“So, are you just waiting for that someone or are you going somewhere or….” Jenson asks, shrugging.

“Just waiting. Not going together anywhere, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Jenson smirks.

“But I don’t think you’re accompanying me either.”

Jenson raises his eyebrows, moves around awkwardly. “Well, that’s a little harshly put. You don’t mind me standing here in the cold with you, though?”

“Oh, I’m quite enjoying our conversation here.”

“But no chance to go somewhere a little warmer for deeper conversations and such.”

“Not today.”

Ah, a rope is thrown. It’s the conquest that appeals to him again, the fact that he’s been rejected but not completely gets him even more determined – if not today then _some other time_, maybe. Again a car passes by, and Nico’s eyes follow it with a detached intrigue.

“So how would I find you some other day?” Jenson asks. Nico laughs dryly, shifting his weight on his feet.

“Don’t you worry about it. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

“Ah, you’re not so philosophical as you’re just elusive, right.”

Nico cocks one eyebrow and smiles smugly. His tongue darts out to wet his lips and god, he really is like built to appeal to Jenson, just the right mix of responsive and teasing. He’s drunk, sure, but if he ever fell in love he wouldn’t be surprised if it was with Nico.

“No, really, how am I going to find you? Or am I just supposed to trust fate will bring us together again?”

“Sure. For you are so preoccupied with this, it must be so, right?”

“I’m sure fate won’t mind if I help it happen a little bit.”

“That can be a dangerous mindset”, Nico shakes his head. “Aren’t we strangers, still?”

“I’m trying to change that all the time”, Jenson retorts. “I know you’re elusive, and apparently hate philosophy. And single…?”

Another car passes by and they watch it go – a lot of people in there. Nico turns back to Jenson, looks him from head to toe. Always a good sign.

“There’s a little more to me than just those three things but sure, good start. Still strangers, though. Do you really think I’m worth hurrying up fate? It’s a small world. Chances are we’ll meet again.”

“Are you a mathematician? I’m not the best with numbers but I don’t think the world is just that small and the odds are the best. Unless you know something I don’t.”

“I know many things you don’t know”, Nico says softly. It’s sort of an insulting phrase but the way Nico said it wasn’t, strangely gentle. Maybe Nico is as ethereal as he now seems and Jenson isn’t just drunk. Something about him is just so fascinating, not just the pretty face and sharp wit and whatnot (the nice butt), but his aura, this enchantment he emits. Jenson has never met anyone like this. That’s why he needs to make sure to meet Nico again.

And again he hears a car but this time it’s different, too fast and too loud and Jenson sees it come closer and no, that’s not how it’s supposed to move, swerve around on the ice with control hardly maintained, and he realises what is about to happen just in time to take a step back and the car rushes past him, and there’s a terrible noise of metal and debris when the car hits a pole.

It takes some seconds for Jenson to react. He realises the passenger’s side of the car is completely fucked. People come out of the bar, some dialing their phones, others rushing to the car.

Jenson turns to Nico, who calmly watches the scene, then at Jenson.

“Don’t rush fate”, he says. “We’ll meet again when it’s time.”

And Jenson suddenly understands everything and stares Nico, mouth agape. He’s not terrified, no, he’s shocked by the crash and everything but – it’s concerning how it makes sense and how he just accepts this.

Nico touches Jenson’s face, his touch ice cold, and slowly walks away, disappears into the night.

Jenson feels the spot where Nico’s finger’s graced his skin and he looks at the accident, the wrecked car and distraught people, the nearing blue lights flashing. Yes, fate will bring Nico and him back together one day, and that should by all logic concern Jenson and make him fear for that day. But Jenson thinks of those green eyes and that gentle smile and the prospect of a cold embrace doesn’t seem that bad.

**Author's Note:**

> obvious plot twist is obvious lol. imagine tho, you just wanna fuck and whoops it's death
> 
> this was inspired by a Finnish cover version of Uriah Heep's Lady in Black - it's called Nainen Tummissa by Lemon and it is not like the original version, the finnish version is literally just "death is sexy" and i sorta love it (we used to sing it in music class on 3rd grade and 10-year olds were like 'wow i wish i was in love with death' lmao that's finland for you i guess)


End file.
